Judging a Book by its Cover

A Book cover for "Maximum Security" by John Devine. Sourced from the University of Chicago Press (University of Chicago Press: Maximum Security)

Often times, our judgements of inner city schools are based on the idea that they are more likely to be less effective at educating our children, and much of that has to do with the notion of "don't judge a book by its cover" (Elliot, 1860). Much like The Mill on the Floss, judging things from their initial appearance can sometimes lead to the development of the personality, trait, or idea of the assumption.

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of providing high-quality education to children living in inner-city areas. Despite this, many inner-city schools are still stigmatized as being less effective at educating children than schools in more affluent areas.

"Getting Ready" book cover by Lois Mark Stalvey. Found on Amazon: Original Cover 1976

The idea of children from inner city schools being less adjudicated is an older concept, the cover represented here is sourced from 1974, and leads us to the ideas held by many of the white families who took part in white flight from the 1950s-60s and resulted in many people establishing in places like Omaha, NE (Wilson, 1987). When we look further into this topic we begin to see a more developed picture of why and how we ended up where we are, rather than just the effects.

According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), inner city schools face unique challenges that can negatively impact the academic performance of their students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). These challenges include high rates of poverty, limited resources, and a lack of access to high-quality teachers and technology. Furthermore, inner city students may also face social and emotional challenges that can impact their academic success, such as exposure to violence and trauma. While the concept of inner city schools being less adjudicated may be an older one, the NCES report underscores the ongoing need for targeted interventions to support students in urban areas and reduce disparities in educational outcomes.

A Magazine Cover From Newsweek Archives 1963. (Newsweek Archives)

In addition to the novels and literature released on the open market which was palleted to those who prefer longform literature. There are many examples of racism in the shortform content sphere. Such as those in Magazine Articles, showing a white-knight the Superintendent of a school district and a proudly displayed text of "The Plight of Urban Schools" this inherently shows the way in which they look down on the schools, and have a predisposed idea that these kids aren't educated well, and a complete ignorance to the problems which actually face the students of the school district.